It was one of the more remarkable finishes in NPL TAS history at Lightwood Park, as the Olympia Warriors scored three goals in the last seven minutes to steal a 3-2 victory from the Kingborough Lions.
In a result that could prove to be pivotal in the title race, a Jordan Scott brace saw the Warriors draw level before a 95th minute penalty was tucked away by Jack Ryan to seal an unlikely turnaround. Playing with ten men for more than half of the game, the Lions bravely held on to be within touching distance of a massive upset before the visitors showed their class late and claimed a crucial three points.
There was no sign of the chaos to come in the early exchanges, as the game slowly rolled into first gear. The Lions started brightly, pressuring the Warriors defence high up the ground and firing a pair of early shots.
That work was almost undone in a horror moment for Keenan Douce, as the fullback very nearly put the ball into his own net. A strong run from Nicholas Mearns ended with a low cross into the middle, and after beating his man to the ball Douce could only slice his clearance goalward but off the post and behind to safety.
A yellow card for Jack Turner was the only other blemish for the Lions early, and one that would come back to bite them at that. That was forgotten momentarily just a minute later, though, as they found a breakthrough to take the lead.
A smooth buildup through the midfield saw the ball make its way to Keenan Douce, and he played in Chris Downes inside the area. With time among the traffic, he stopped, propped and finished into the bottom corner to open the scoring.
[caption id="attachment_12368" align="alignnone" width="559"]
Downes opens the scoring- Solstice Photography[/caption]
The goal spurred the Warriors to play with greater intent, but the pressure applied by the Lions had them struggling to move the ball through the midfield. Marshalled by Turner, Downes and Cameron Steele in the middle, the home side continued to hold strong defensively while making enough plays forward to threaten.
Their momentum was sapped less than ten minutes before the break, though, as Turner was sent off for a second yellow card. After chasing down the Warriors player with the ball, he clipped them with a hip and shoulder well after the pass had been made. While the referee missed the moment initially, his assistant raised the flag and after a brief consultation Turner was given his marching orders.
That changed the complexion of the game in an instant, and the Warriors finished the half looking much more dangerous. But where most would have expected them to come out firing after the break, they continued to be undermined by sloppy passing early in the second half.
Sitting deeper since going a man down, the Lions defence continued to hold strong and sprung a stunning counter attack ten minutes after the break to unexpectedly double their advantage. A quick breakaway from defence ended with a tidy one-two between James Hall and Steele, and once the cutback came to Steele he had time to steady and fire a shot into the bottom corner.
With a two goal buffer to protect, the Lions seemed happy to play the game to a stalemate as the next twenty minutes came and went with little incident. The longer Olympia went without threatening the goal the more they pressed in attack, and the more they left themselves open even against a ten-man opponent.
That saw the hosts almost snare a remarkable third goal, as a huge double chance went begging. Horatio Gutierrez Jr. managed to skip past three defenders and make space to shoot around the area, forcing a reflex save from Kyle McDonald. The rebound fell to substitute Brayton Allan, who could only blaze a shot well over the crossbar.
Even as the game moved into the last ten minutes, the Warriors continued to struggle to create any genuine chances. A volley from Ryan Cook straight into the arms of Kenneth Perkinson was as close as they got for most of the half, until the madness began in the 88th minute.
A hopeful cross from the right was flicked on by an audacious backheel from Bay Kurtz, and that saw the ball make it all the way to the penalty spot. When it arrived there Scott was waiting, and he tucked it into the back of the net to give the Warriors a glimmer of hope.
Jono Ladic forced a fantastic save from Perkinson one minute later, before Scott doubled up from a set piece to make that hope a reality for the Warriors. With a free kick sitting just outside the area, he hit a dipping ball that took a slight deflection from the wall and snuck in at the near post to level the scores.
The Lions looked completely shell shocked, and struggled to fight back as the Warriors continued to surge. Suddenly looking to save a game they thought they had won, they were pushed to breaking point and cruelly snapped in the 95th minute.
An Olympia corner resulted in a header on target, with only Keenan Douce on the line to stop it. He made the block with his foot, but the ball bounced into his outstretched arm and the referee was forced to produce a red card and award a Warriors penalty.
Invisible for much of the day, English import Jack Ryan stepped up and slammed the spot kick home to seal the unlikeliest of wins for his side. The final whistle blew just moments later to end a remarkable contest that left everyone in attendance shaking their heads in disbelief.
The win keeps the Warriors in the thick of the title race, as they move to just two points behind the ladder-leading Devonport Strikers. They'll now host the Glenorchy Knights next Friday night, while the Lions will travel to Clarence looking for a statement win on the rebound.
https://youtu.be/aeQjZjl0_Jg
Downes opens the scoring- Solstice Photography[/caption]
The goal spurred the Warriors to play with greater intent, but the pressure applied by the Lions had them struggling to move the ball through the midfield. Marshalled by Turner, Downes and Cameron Steele in the middle, the home side continued to hold strong defensively while making enough plays forward to threaten.
Their momentum was sapped less than ten minutes before the break, though, as Turner was sent off for a second yellow card. After chasing down the Warriors player with the ball, he clipped them with a hip and shoulder well after the pass had been made. While the referee missed the moment initially, his assistant raised the flag and after a brief consultation Turner was given his marching orders.
That changed the complexion of the game in an instant, and the Warriors finished the half looking much more dangerous. But where most would have expected them to come out firing after the break, they continued to be undermined by sloppy passing early in the second half.
Sitting deeper since going a man down, the Lions defence continued to hold strong and sprung a stunning counter attack ten minutes after the break to unexpectedly double their advantage. A quick breakaway from defence ended with a tidy one-two between James Hall and Steele, and once the cutback came to Steele he had time to steady and fire a shot into the bottom corner.
With a two goal buffer to protect, the Lions seemed happy to play the game to a stalemate as the next twenty minutes came and went with little incident. The longer Olympia went without threatening the goal the more they pressed in attack, and the more they left themselves open even against a ten-man opponent.
That saw the hosts almost snare a remarkable third goal, as a huge double chance went begging. Horatio Gutierrez Jr. managed to skip past three defenders and make space to shoot around the area, forcing a reflex save from Kyle McDonald. The rebound fell to substitute Brayton Allan, who could only blaze a shot well over the crossbar.
Even as the game moved into the last ten minutes, the Warriors continued to struggle to create any genuine chances. A volley from Ryan Cook straight into the arms of Kenneth Perkinson was as close as they got for most of the half, until the madness began in the 88th minute.
A hopeful cross from the right was flicked on by an audacious backheel from Bay Kurtz, and that saw the ball make it all the way to the penalty spot. When it arrived there Scott was waiting, and he tucked it into the back of the net to give the Warriors a glimmer of hope.
Jono Ladic forced a fantastic save from Perkinson one minute later, before Scott doubled up from a set piece to make that hope a reality for the Warriors. With a free kick sitting just outside the area, he hit a dipping ball that took a slight deflection from the wall and snuck in at the near post to level the scores.
The Lions looked completely shell shocked, and struggled to fight back as the Warriors continued to surge. Suddenly looking to save a game they thought they had won, they were pushed to breaking point and cruelly snapped in the 95th minute.
An Olympia corner resulted in a header on target, with only Keenan Douce on the line to stop it. He made the block with his foot, but the ball bounced into his outstretched arm and the referee was forced to produce a red card and award a Warriors penalty.
Invisible for much of the day, English import Jack Ryan stepped up and slammed the spot kick home to seal the unlikeliest of wins for his side. The final whistle blew just moments later to end a remarkable contest that left everyone in attendance shaking their heads in disbelief.
The win keeps the Warriors in the thick of the title race, as they move to just two points behind the ladder-leading Devonport Strikers. They'll now host the Glenorchy Knights next Friday night, while the Lions will travel to Clarence looking for a statement win on the rebound.
https://youtu.be/aeQjZjl0_Jg